MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - Melissa Hernandez is an artist by trade, but her real masterpiece is on display inside the ring.
“I give people the excitement, what they want to see,” said the former WBC Featherweight Champion. “If you wanna bang, I bang. If you want to box, I box, and I’m also one of the biggest showboaters in the game.”
It was always showtime when the boxer known as Huracan Shark preyed upon her opponents mentally, round by round.
“I was like, ‘You dropped something.’ I blew them kisses. I’m a weirdo, you know?” said Hernandez. “It’s psychology, so I’m just trying to get in your head. I’m one of those people that watch everything you do, and then I pick up on all your mistakes, which makes me one of the most dangerous fighters.”
Knowing when to attack paid off for Hernandez, as she won six world titles in three different weight classes over a 10-year period.
She retired four years ago, but at the age of 40, she’s back.
“I’ve never felt stronger before, and there was everyone else around me, like all the different people, telling me I can do it,” Hernandez said. “It’s really mind-changing at 40 how much you don’t think like a kid anymore and your body is with you.”
Her return to the ring was delayed for several months when the sports world was shut down due to COVID-19.
“It was totally horrible for me because I was actually scheduled to fight on St. Patrick’s Day in Madison Square Gardens. I spent three months training and then not being able to execute the gameplan,” Hernandez said.
She is in line for fights that could lead to another title shot.
Hernandez also plans on fighting for all female boxers who traditionally don’t receive big paydays in championship matches.
“We actually get in there, get punched in the face and hurt really bad, and we make about a couple thousand bucks,” she said. “After many years of doing that and becoming the best fighter in the world, I still wasn’t even able to buy a house. For us to sit out there and have to tell people that we should get paid equally, they’re not understanding. They’re like, ‘Well, you don’t have as many fights and publicity as Floyd Mayweather. Correct, because you’re not marketing us like you market Floyd Mayweather,’ so I’m a complete advocate for doing that.”
For the time being, Hernandez is training at the Continuum Sporting Club on South Beach.
She’s lined up for a fight in October. If she wins, she could be in line for a shot at another title before next year.
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